I. THE PARTIES 1 L'Assocrafion pour le progrds et ta ddfense des droits des femmes maliennes (The Association for the Advancement and Defence of women,s Rights) - APDF, presents itself as a Malian organisation with Observer Status before the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (herein-after referred to as "the commission"), with the mission to encourage women,s groups to defend their rights and interests against all forms of viotence and discrimination. 2 The lnstitute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) for its part, presents itself as a pan-African Non-Governmental Organisation based in Banjul, The Gambia, with the mission to assist victims of human rights violations in their quest for justice using national, African and international instruments. lt declares that it also has Observer Status before the Commission. 3 The two afore-mentioned entities are herein-after referred to as ,,the Applicants". 4- The Respondent State, the Republic of Mali, became a party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (herein-after referred to as "the Charter',) on 21 October 1986; the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and peoples' Rights on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and peoples, Rights (herein-after referred to as "the Protocol") on 25 January 2OO4; the protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women (herein-after referred to as "the Maputo protocol") on 25 November 200b; and to the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (herein-after referred to as "the children's charter"") on 2g November 1ggg. The Respondent state also deposited the Declaration prescribed under Article 34(6) of the protocol, allowing individuals and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to direcly seize the Court, on 19 February 2010. The Respondent State became party a to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women ( referred to as "CEDAW") on 10 September 1gg5. 1{9- 4, 2b tr gn